schreiber



Jan. 31, 1956 P. Q. R. SCHREIBER FEED HOPPER FOR TOBACCO CUTTING MACHINERY Filed June 16, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet l Jan. 31, 1956 P. Q R. SCHREIBER FEED HOPPER FOR TOBACCO CUTTING MACHINERY Filed June 16. 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ga /4 mW/M Jon-7 MMMM United Sees atentO FEED HOPPER FOR TOBACCO CUTTING MACHINERY Patrick Q. R. Schreiber, Cobham, England, assignor to Robert Legg Limited, London, England, a British coni- P y Application June 16, 1952, Serial No. 293,717

Claims priority, application Great Britain June 22, 1951 Claims. (Cl. 198-59) This invention relates to tobacco cutting machines and comprises a feed hopper having means for automatically securing a substantially constant feed of tobacco leaf to the cutting device.

The means of feeding tobacco leaf to the cutting means of a tobacco cutting machine generally consists .of a feed hopper, a lower conveyor band forming the bottom of the feed hopper and an upper conveyor band which is inclined at an angle to the lower conveyor band, so as to compress the tobacco leaf as it is fed forward, and finally a mouthpiece through which the compressed leaf issues, preparatory to being cut by the cutting means. The lower conveyor band is considerably longer than the upper conveyor band, so that tobacco leaf may be fed on to it by hand or mechanical means, free from obstruction by the upper conveyor hand.

To secure the best results from a tobacco manufacturers point of view, it is desirable that the rate of the leaf feed to the cutting means should be as even as possible. When feeding the machine by hand, this means that some care and time has to be spent on ensuring that the height of the bulk of the leaf on the lower conveyor band is kept as even as possible.

The purpose of this invention is to provide mechanical means for levelling the height of the mass of leaf tobacco after it has been laid on the bottom conveyor'band inice posed that the tips of the rake contact the mass of the gobalcco leaf just before it passes under the top conveyor The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figures 1 and 2 are respectively a sectional side elevation and plan view of the feed hopper to a tobacco cutting machine fitted with leaf feed mechanism in accordance with the invention.

'Figure 3 is a section of the line lIIIII of Figure 1 showing the leaf feed mechanism and the rake by which the tobacco leaf feed to the hopper is controlled.

Figure 4 is a detail view.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown part of a tobacco cutting machine including the feed hopper, indicated generally at T, and supported by a pedestal P for receiving the tobacco leaf, and from which the leaf is advanced to the knives of the cutter itself (not shown).

The feed hopper T, which comprises side plates S, S,

converging to a throat A, is provided with a lower sup-,

porting conveyor band B on to which the tobacco leaf can be fed by hand or mechanical means. In the standard type of tobacco cutting machine, the leaf is advanced by the lower conveyor band B which, as can be seen from Figure l, is set at an incline to the horizontal, until it meets a secondand upper conveyor band C which is at an incline and reverse angle to the lower band B, so as to compress the tobacco leaf as it is fed forward, where, on emerging between the two bands B and C it passes out in a compressed condition through a mouthpiece preparatory to being cut by the cutter.

It will be obvious from a tobacco manufacturers point of view, that in order to secure the best results, it is desirable to ensure that the rate of feed of the compressed leaf remains substantially constant and when the machine is fed by hand a certain amount of time is taken up by the operation in seeing that the mass of leaf on the forward end of the hopper is fully supplied at a constant rate and height.

discriminately, and preferably before it passes under the top inclined conveyor band, thereby reducing the labour required to feed the machine at a constant level or rate of feed.

- According to this invention in a tobacco cutting machine including a feed hopper having a conveyor band or bands for advancing the tobacco leaf to the cutter, there is provided a rake element or elements to which is imparted a to-and-fro motion in the path of the oncoming tobacco leaf, the rake element or elements extending across the width of the hopper so as to exert a levelling action on the tobacco leaf as it is fed forward by the lower conveyor band.

Satisfactory results have been obtained when using a singie rake element having a series of teeth or prongs, the motion imparted to the rake being such that it moves in an elliptical or substantially circular path and being so arranged that as the leaf is carried forward by the lower band it is forced to pass beneath the rake before encountering the upper conveyor band.

The body of the rake as seen in plan may consist of a rectangular frame, the forward end of which is attached to the crank pin of a cranked shaft, while its other end is suspended from a pair of swinging levers. Adjacent the crank pin end, holes are drilled in the transverse member of the frame to receive long rods, which form the prongs of the rake. These rods may be adjustable, so that the amount they project downwards from the frame can be regulated. The cranked shaft, rake and swinging levers are conveniently mounted above the feed hopper of the tobacco cutting machine in suitable bearings attached to the main frame of the machine, and so dis- The present invention has for its object to provide mechanical means for levelling the height of the tobacco as it is conveyed forwardly by the lower conveyor band B towards the upper conveyor band C. This mechanism consists essentially of a rake element 1 mounted to travel in an orbital motion indicated by an arrow 2 (Figure 1) so that as the tobacco leaf is carried forward by the lower conveyor band B it is forced to pass beneath the rake 1 before encountering the upper conveyor band C.

In the embodiment illustrated, the hopper is fitted with a superstructure comprising side channels 3 having end uprights 4 and 5, the uprights 4 and 5 being connected to each other by side bars 6. Suspended between the bars 6 at one end thereof are levers 7 attached at their free ends to one end of a rectangular rake frame, indicated generally at 8, the rake frame 3 including longitudinals 9 spaced apart by front and rear transverse angle bars 10. The rake frame 8 is supported at its forward end by crank arms 11 fast on crank shafts 12 mounted' in crank shaft bearings 13, which bearings are carried by the side bars 6 of the superstructure.

A platform 14 also carried by the side bars 6 provides a base mounting for a geared electric motor 15, the output shaft 16 of which gear drive is fitted with a sprocket 17 from which drive is transmitted through a chain 18 to a sprocket 19 fast on one of the crank shafts 12 (see Figure 3). As can be seen from Figure 3, the crank arms 11 are connected to a crank pin 20 journalled in crank bearings 21 on the rake frame 8.

It follows therefore that on starting up the geared motor, drive will be transmitted to the sprocket 19, thus causing the associated crank arm 11 to revolve about the axis of the crank shaft 12, thereby imparting a rotary motion to the forward end of the rake frame 8 which t-.. ts. eanensl 1s uspended by the longitudinal lever arms 7.

Mounted on the forward angle bar of the rake frame are rods 22 forming the rake prongs for which purpose, the angle bar 10 is drilled. at spaced intervals to, receive screw. collars23 in which the rods 22 areslid: ably mounted, being adjustably fixed in position by set screws 24, In operation. the crank shaft '12 is rotated at a comparatively low speed and in such a direction that the tips of the prongs will follow a roughly orbital path having a component nearest the supporting conveyor contrary to the direction of feed of the tobacco so as to dip, down on to the top of the mass of the tobacco leaf. By this, means surplus tobacco leaf is pushed backwards towards the rear of the feed hopper, the remainder of the.

mass of the leaf travelling forward under the top conveyor band at a comparatively even height.

Theheight of this mass of tobacco fed forward can be regulatedby adjusting the amount the prongs of the rake project downwards from the frame. Moreover, the shape of the top of the mass of leaf fed forward can be made either convex, level or concave, when viewing a transverse cross section of the mass, by suitable adjustment of the prongs. By this means, the amount of leaf fed to the centre or the sidesof the mouthpiece can be regulated, which is a very desirable feature for obtaining an even degree of compactness throughout the mass of tobacco issuing from the mouthpiece.

When such a device as described is fitted to the feed hopper of a tobacco cutting machine, it is only necessary to ensure that the back of the feed hopper is kept full of tobacco leaf, the device itself ensuring that the rate of feed of leaf to the mouthpiece is kept substantially constant at the desired figure.

I claim;

1. In an apparatus for conveying loose materi lf in combination with a feed hopper, upper and lower endless conveyors having adjacent runs moving in the same direction to convey material from the hopper and said runs being convergent in said direction of movement, a rake element, having prongs extending downwardly to engage the material in the hopper in advance of the leading end of said upper conveyor, means supporting said rake element for movement of said prongs in an orbital path having a component of movement nearest said lower conveyor in which said prongs move counter to the direction of movement imparted to the material by said conveyors, and means for effecting such movement of said rake.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 provided with a superstructure supported on said hopper thereabove, said means for supporting said rake element being connected to said superstructure.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 provided with a superstructure supported, on said. hopper thereabove, the means for supporting said rake element comprising a e, rota y r nk mean pn eqted 9 sa d f am at one end, and means for. Supporting the other end of said frame from said superstructure.

4. In an apparatus for conveying loose materials, in combination with a feed hopper, upper and lower endless conveyors having adjacent runs, said hopper having an entrance end and said adjacent runs moving in the same r n. way r m uch nd of h pp he pp conveyor having an entrance end toward the entrance end of said hopper spaced therefrom a distance substantially greater than the corresponding end of the lower conveyor, a rake element having prongs extending downwardly to engage the material in the hopper between the entrance end of said upper conveyor and said entrance end of said hopper, means supporting said rake element for movement of said prongs in an orbital path having a component of movement nearest said lower conveyor in which said prongs move counter to said direction of movement of said adjacent runs of said conveyors, and power means for effecting such orbital movement of said pr n 5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein said means for supporting said rake element for movement in said orbital path comprises a frame having a bottom portion to which said prongs are connected and supporting end members pivoted to said bottom member, one of said end members comprising crank means rotatable about a fixed axis, said power means. being connected to said crank meansto rotate it.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 239,216 Bayley Mar. 22, 1881 716,374 Brunger Dec. 23, 1902 1,258,858 Bell Mar. 12, 1918 1,667,428 Mason Apr. 24, 1928 2,311,373 Durning Feb. 16, 1943 2,354,264 Hitchcock July 25, 1944 

